HALIEUTICA, V. 458-482 



come to the woods. Nay, nor has all Aeolis " for- 

 gotten the love of a youth — not long ago but in our 

 own generation — how a Dolphin once loved an 

 island boy and in the island it dwelt and ever haunted 

 the haven where ships lay at anchor, even as if it 

 were a townsman and refused to leave its comrade, 

 but abode there and made that its house from the 

 time that it was little till it was a grown cub, hke a 

 httle child nurtured in the ways of the boy. But 

 when they came to the fullness of \igorous youth, 

 then the boy excelled among the youths and the 

 Dolphin in the sea was more excellent in swiftness 

 than all others. Then there was a marvel strange 

 beyond speech or thought for strangers and in- 

 dwellers to behold. And report stirred many to 

 hasten to see the wondrous sight, a youth and a 

 Dolphin growing up in comradeship, and day by day 

 beside the shore were many gatherings of those who 

 rushed to gaze upon the mighty marvel. Then the 

 youth would embark in his boat and row in front 

 of the embayed haven and would call it, shouting 

 the name whereby he had named it even from 

 earhest birth. And the Dolphin, like an arrow, when 

 it heard the call of the boy, would speed swiftly and 

 come close to the beloved boat, fa^^Tiing ^\•ith its tail 

 and proudly lifting up its head fain to touch the boy. 

 And he would gently caress it with his hands, 

 lovingly greeting his comrade, while it would be 

 eager to come right into the boat beside the boy. 



faiSl cQxTTpa d.vo5to6vTa on fffyKoirffra vto aXtewy oi'toi' idtraro, 

 TovTov Tof Se\(piva eldop [cf. Oppian's " not long ago "] icat 

 KaXouvTi Tifi xatdi vraKOvoyra Kai tpipovra, oiroTf ivoxf'isdai oi 

 ^ouXoiTo. For other similar stories rf. A, 631 a S flf. ; Ael. 

 ii. 6, vi. 1.5, viii. 11 ; Athen. 606 c; Plin. i. U S. ; Antig. 

 55 ; Aul. Gell. vi. 8. 



499 



